Primer cup racking device



Oct. 23, 1945. c. s. HOLCOMB ET AL PRIMER CUP RAdKING DEVICE 15, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

.0 0 0 E T c H N m o m W1 3 U h 0 r MM: CP 7 1 V1 B Oct 23, 1945. c, s HQLCQMB 2,387,663

PRIMER CUP RACKING DEVICE Filed Dec. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' ooooooo ooooo o 0000000 0000000 INVENTORS Charles 6. ffol com 6 I BY Reed'Overson Patented Oct. 23, 1945 PRIMER CUP BACKING DEVICE Delaware Application December 15, 1943, Serial No. 514,390

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of ammunition and to the assembly of primers therefor. It is especially concerned with the arrangement of primer cups in a plate so that they face in one direction.

In the assembly of the primers, which are relatively small in size, the component parts are held in loading plates in order to assemble the same. The plates have a plurality of holes into which the cups are placed or racked and the cups must all face in one direction. The cups which do not face in the correct direction must be removed from the plate and replaced or turned over by hand, which is a tedious and lengthy operation because of the smallness of the objects being handled. a

One of the objects of the present invention is to facilitate the filling of the loading plates with primer cups. This and other objects will appear from the following drawings and descriptions which are merely exemplary.

Fig. 1 is a side view in section of the device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking from the left side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one of the supports for the vibratable plate holder.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the vibratable shelf.

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of one form of loading plate which can be used.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a primer cup.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternate method of mounting the flexible element.

Fig. 9 is a broken side view of Fig. 8.

Referring now to Fig. l, the plate 20 (Fig. 6) which is to be loaded, is fed into the grooves 2| on vibratable plate holder 22 through the opening 23 in the front face 24 of the bin, shown generally at 25. The projecting guide 26 assists in guiding the loading plates 2|] into the holder 22. The arrangement is such that the plates are slid into the grooves 2| and can be removed upwardly through the openings 21 which are formed by termination of the upper ledges 28 at 29 of the grooves 2 I. Plates are placed in the groove until there is a plate adjacent the edge 30 of the guide plate 3| as shown at 32 of Fig. 1. The slope of the grooves may be made such that the plates will gradually slide downwardly as the frame is vibrated. The plates may have the holes arranged as shown in Fig. 6 or may have them arranged in any desired manner. One form of plate may have one edge reduced in size as shown at 59 in Fig. 6, in which case the grooves 2| canbe made of corresponding depth and height.

Primer cups are fed through opening 33 onto the sloping plate 34. The sloping plate 34 has an adjustable extension edge plate 35. The edge plate is made adjustable so that the cups can be caused to flow evenly in a horizontal direction onto the guide plate 3|. This plate has elongated slots 36 which are engaged by screws 31. Screws 3! may have wing nuts 33 for the purpose of ready adjustment of the edge of the extension plate 35 relative to the sloping plate 34. The extension plate 35 has the edge 39 rolled over so as to assist in the guidance of the cups therefrom.

A piece of flexible material 40, such as muslin,

. sheeting, or other flexible cloth, is fastened adjacent the edge of extension plate 35. The primer cups fall onto the guide plate 3| in a random fashion from the sloping hopper plate 34 over the rolled edge 39. The retarding guide plate 3| is fastened at 4| to the front closing plate 24 of the device. The cups flow downwardly over the hump 42 and are retarded sufliciently thereby as they pass over the inclined portion 43 so as to properly flow onto a primer plate. ing effect is particularly necessary when the slope of grooves 2| is made such that the loading plates will slide downwardly when the plate holder 22 is vibrated. The primer cups, as shown in Fig. 7, have a relatively thick base 44 and are thus bottom heavy, so that they tend to become arranged with their open mouths 45 pointing upwardly. The cups then fall onto a primer loading plate 32 located adjacent the edge 30 of the retarding guide plate 3|. The flexible element 40 then serves to assist in the movement of the primer cups into holes 45 (Fig. 6) of the loading plate.

An alternative form of construction is shown in Fig. 8 wherein the flexible element 56 is supported by a pivoted strip 51 which can be adjusted on its pivots 58 carried by side walls 59 to properly position the flexible element.

The flow of the cups into the holes is assisted by vibration of the loading plates. The vibratable plate holder 22, including the grooved channels 2|, is supported on brackets 41. The connection between the brackets 41 and the plate holder 22 is by means of a flexible member, such as the member 48 (Fig. 4), which may be of rubber or similar material. A vibrator unit 49 is bolted at 50 to the plate holding frame 22. This vibrator unit may be any well known unit, such as an electric vibrator of the motor driven variety or may be of the magnetic type. When this unit is operating, the flexible element 48 The retard-' will allow a sharp rapid vibration of the plate holder 22, particularly in the vertical direction. The excess cups fall into the hopper 5| and can be removed therefrom through the opening 52 which is closed by a valve 53'. The valve 53 may have a weight o de to keep the same i a central closed position. The excess, Qups may be led to a suitable conveyor, such as shown in c0- pending application Serial Number 515,656, filed December 2'7, 1943 and returned to the hopper 34.

In the operation of the device, the loading plates 20 are placed into the plate holder 22 through opening 23. The vibrator 49 having been started, the cups are then fed into the ma; chine and there pass down the sloping plate 34 over edge 39 onto the retarding guide plate 3!. The cups slide downwardly over hump 42 and pass onto the loading plate 20 in such a manner as to insure that they will enter the holes of theloadin plate, correctl This action is as. sisted also y the fl xibl elem nt 4,0. or 5.6. which serv t he p in th movement of th suns. int th leading pla loa ed; p ates slide down the roov shamans 2.! a d are removed from heri ht s de. oi t e iEis v ll- The plates ssh be taken to h nea machin s as the Primer ma r al ins rtin ma hi ing his th an s to the ton n a tou ed t retard cufisr eive'ci' oml ai h pper guide; and'a flexible clo'thflilge element closely amene. i o-at s Pa e lle 2. In a primer cup racking machine, a. frame, means to hold a loading plate on said frame, said means .being resiliently mounted on said frame, means to vibrate said plate holding means; nd means for guiding cups to said load ma re a e includin a fixed h p e gui e, an iustal l ext n o for said u de a pl @011- toured to retard cups received from said hopper guide and a flexible cloth-like element adjustably mounted and closely adjacent the loading plate being filled.

3. In a primer cup racking machine, a main frame; a resili mounted grooved frame for hol flng loading plates, said plates being slidable down said grooves, said grooved frame being mounted angularly relative to the main frame;

means to vibrate said grooved frame; and means a for; guiding cups to said loading plates includingv RiQd hopp r gu d a adjus able ext n ion for a d some, a late o ed o retard cups r wiv s rom said. 1 9 s rest and a fl ble loth-l ke elemen as lu r bly mounted. nd lose: 1y adjacent the loading plate being 15,11 (,1,

In a rim 11? r kin ma frame; a o e fram fo n its plates? m an to b a e said roo ed flame;- mgans t e l n mom sai rame ansu arhr relative to said main frame, said angle being such that the loading plates will slide down the grooves when the grooved frame is vibrated; and means for guiding cups to said loading; plates including a fixed hopper guide, an adjustable extension for said guide, a plate contoured to retard cups received from said hopper guide, and a flexible cloth-like element adjustably mounted and closely adjacent the loading plate being filled.

(CHARLES S; HOLCOMB. REED- OVERSON. 

